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TUI Cruises have placed an order for two LNG powered cruise ships with Fincnatieri. Ships to be built on the Monfalcone yard. http://cruisedeck.de/tui-cruises-ordern-bei-fincantieri/

MSC Cruises is to build a new cruise terminal capable of accommodating its yet-to-be-launched 7,000-guest World Class cruise ships at PortMiami in Florida. Miami-Dade County and MSC Cruises, which uses PortMiami as its exclusive US homeport, signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the new Cruise Terminal AAA on 11 July. The facility is expected to be completed by October 2022. It will be MSC Cruises’ second dedicated terminal at PortMiami after it opened Terminal F as a homeport for MSC Divina and the 5,170-passenger flagship MSC Seaside in December 2017. “Investing in PortMiami's infrastructure positions Miami-Dade County as a global destination for visitors,” said Carlos Gimenez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County. Source: CruiseandFerry.net

A wave of stricter port restrictions in south China has left steel producers searching for alternative ports to allow them to berth vessels carrying their imported coking coal cargoes. A south China steel producer, which typically berths its vessels at Fangcheng port, has been prevented from doing so. An east China steel producer has been trying to get clearance to berth a cargo of Australian premium mid-volatile coking coal at Wenzhou port in Zhejiang province but has now been denied entry. Both steel producers are scrambling to find an alternative. Another south China steel producer might be barred from taking any more imported coal in the following months as port import quotas have nearly been reached, sources said.

Port of Le Havre has berthed six Saudi Arabian national shipping line vessels with a ro-ro service for containers, as well as conventional and heavy-lift cargo, since the beginning of June. The new bimonthly service, which links HAROPA to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, provides a more direct route for various export goods such as new vehicles, construction machinery and electric power generators, as well as railway and miscellaneous construction equipment. Six ships have been deployed as part of the service. Among them, the Bahri Tabuk, which opened the new sea link to the ro-ro terminal in Le Havre. These 225m-long vessels are equipped with an access ramp with a capacity of 250 tonnes and two cranes each lifting 120 tonnes. In Le Havre, Bahri are represented by Shipping Agency Service, a subsidiary of the Naxco group. Source: Arabian Industry

The CMA CGM JEAN MERMOZ, sister vessel of the CMA CGM ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPERY, is today (July 4, 2018) operating at TTI Algeciras. This is the continuation of a generation of mega vessels that are currently the largest calling Spanish ports and have chosen the Port of Algeciras as its only port of call in our country. The CMA CGM JEAN MERMOZ, which arrives at the Port of Algeciras from Singapore, is making its maiden voyage within the FAL1 service (French Asia Line 1), an emblematic route of CMA CGM between Asia and Northern Europe which is also part of the services offered by The Ocean Alliance.

A new quay to reduce unloading time of purse seiners and relieve congestion in the Seychelles’ Port of Victoria was officially opened during the weekend. The Ile du Port Handling Services (IPHS) port is a 425-metre commercial fishing quay next to the Port of Victoria. Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism, Port and Civil Aviation, Didier Dogley, said that since the commissioning of part of the quay in January 2016, transactions at the ports have improved significantly. A representative of IPHS, Arthur de Bretagne, said that the new quay “will be a cornerstone for new investments and new businesses dedicated to the fisheries industry.” The IPHS was mandated to construct and manage the quay, undertake stevedoring operations and other related port activities. The port will be transferred to the government after recovery of the construction and financing cost, which amount to $18 million.

Konecranes recently commissioned the mobile harbor crane in Brindisi, where it will handle coal destined for power generation in continuous-duty operation. SIR srl (SIR), a leading provider of industry-related environmental services, purchased in May 2018 the eco-efficient diesel-electric crane to be the backbone of its new port business.

Japan’s Port of Yokohama is on track to open its new cruise terminal at Shinko Pier in mid-2019 after starting construction work in June. The port has now begun work to build the 17,400-square-metre terminal building and to extend the existing cruise pier to 340 metres in length. This, combined with the 9.5-metre depth, will enable the port to welcome cruise ships weighing up to 110,000gt.

On 3 July, the Port of Gdansk Authority signed a contract with NDI SA, the contractor for the expansion of the road and rail system in the Outer Port. The project is co-funded from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and is yet another contract involving EU subsidies signed by the Port of Gdansk within recent months. The value of the contract amounts to nearly PLN 176 million.

Samskip Iceland is changing ports in the UK on 16 July, moving from Immingham to Hull, the company said in its press release. Samskip is the Port of Hull's largest customer, where transportation to and from Iceland and Samskip's logistics network in Europe will now meet. Each year Samskip transports over 100.000 container units through the Port of Hull, making it Samskip's second largest port, following Rotterdam. “The Port of Hull offers its clients excellent service and facilities, to our customers' benefit. The relocation means shortened stay in port for our ships, which translates to better services to our customers,” says Guðmundur Þór Gunnarsson, Samskip Iceland's COO of Operations. With the ports of Hull and Immingham being relatively near each other there will be no changes relating to Samskip's reception of general cargo. Samskip's warehouse placement is also unchanged.

Tilbury welcomes the VESPER floating bulk terminal to its new base at London Container Terminal Eureka Shipping, part of SMT Shipping and the CSL Group, has based its multipurpose floating bulk terminal VESPER at The Port of Tilbury under a four year agreement with London Container Terminal and Cemineral, the company said in its press release. The 125m long VESPER (see images) has a storage capacity of 10,000-tonnes across its four holds. The floating terminal is equipped to receive bulk powder from both self-discharging pneumatic cement carriers and from bulk vessels in a dust-free manner, store the material and then load directly to powder tanker trucks for delivery to customers. During the early part of 2018 the VESPER has undergone a complete upgrade at the NAUTA shipyard in Gdynia, Poland. The vessel’s cargo handling system is only 10 years old, however all its equipment and machinery has undergone a complete overhaul since the barge was purchased. Various modifications and installations have also been carried out.

During 2018-2021, “Production and Commercial Company “Bratya” (Rostov-on-Don), the part of the US corporation Cargill, plans to invest RUB 600-660 million in reconstruction of grain terminal, reports UkrAgroConsult. The upgrade will help to increase the capacity of the existing terminal by 50% to 1 MMT per year. It is planned to extend the quay wall from existing 142 to 314 linear meters and build a 20 KMT silo. This year, it is planned to prepare a feasibility study for the project and undergo an examination. The beginning of the construction work is scheduled for 2019. Ukraine. Grain terminal of M.V. Cargo 80% complete The grain terminal, constructed by M.V.Cargo in Yuzhny port, is 80% ready. The company reported that in spring it implemented the first phase, which included the construction of railcars unloading station, trucks unloading station, a warehouse for 80 KMT of grain and supporting infrastructure. Currently, the second line of silos and the berth #25 are being built. Two lines of vertical storage silos will be able to receive grain already in October 2018.

The US federal government has approved a proposal to allow UAE-based port operator Gulftainer to take control of the Port of Wilmington and develop a new container port at Edgemoor. The federal sign-off means the final terms must now be ratified by the Diamond State Port Corp., the port’s quasi-public operating board. The board already signed off on the basic terms of the agreement earlier this year. Under the terms of the 50-year deal, the state will continue to own the land under the nearly 100-year-old Wilmington port while Gulftainer would take over operations of the facility, which sits at the confluence of the Christina and Delaware rivers.

The keel was laid down for SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY , the first new vessel for the British shipping company SAGA Cruises at the MEYER WERFT shipyard in Papenburg. The first block of the new ship weighs 320 tonnes and is 5.5 metres high, 23.5 metres long and 20 metres wide. This is the first ship of its kind for Great Britain and will be delivered in summer 2019, the company said in its press release.

P&O Cruises’ new LNG-powered cruise ship Iona is to feature the line’s first-ever three-deck-high glass Grand Atrium, its first British gastropub venue, a ‘foodie’ market and a top deck glass SkyDome entertainment venue when she launches in May 2020. Currently under construction at Meyer Werft’s shipyard in Germany, Iona will be designed to meet the tastes of British guests and will offer multiple innovations and new venues. One highlight will be the glazed Grand Atrium created by architecture and interior design practice Jestico + Whiles, the creators of London’s W Hotel, Aqua Shard restaurant in The Shard, and The Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Source: CruiseandFerry.net

Navis, a part of Cargotec Corporation and provider of operational technologies and services that unlock greater performance and efficiency for the world’s leading organizations across the shipping supply chain, announced that ICTSI – Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) has upgraded to N4 3.4. Transitioning to the newer version of the TOS is part of ICTSI’s plan to continuously invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment and strengthen its foothold as one of the most technologically advanced terminals serving the intra-Asia trade. MICT, located in the Philippines, is the busiest, largest and most modern container terminal in Manila, with an annual throughput of 2.28 million TEU. Under ICTSI’s management, MICT has more than tripled its annual capacity and throughput, expanded its cargo handling fleet and converted a manual control system to an integrated, real-time IT terminal control system. As a result of hitting the two million TEU mark last year, a company milestone, ICTSI announced an $80 million improvement project to further expand and modernize MICT. Part of the modernization project included implementing a TOS to meet the terminal’s needs as it continues to grow and service larger vessels carrying rising cargo volumes. N4 and its proven track record create a competitive advantage for MICT, enabling better and more efficient gate, yard, and vessel operations.

Some major Chinese ports delayed clearing goods from the United States on Friday, four sources said, potentially disrupting imports worth billions of dollars as the world’s top two economies head towards an outright trade war. News of the hold-ups came as Washington imposed tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese imports from 0401 GMT on Friday. Beijing had said it would retaliate with punitive measures on U.S. products worth a similar amount, including soybeans, pork and cotton, but it had not officially confirmed on Friday that they had taken effect. The port of Shanghai had put on hold clearing some U.S. imports through customs, said an official at a company in the coastal city, which handles customs clearance for importers. He had spoken to customs officials. There did not appear to be any direct guidance to hold up cargoes, but some customs departments were waiting until they had received official instructions from the central government on whether to start collecting the hefty new import tariffs on hundreds of products, the sources said.

MSC has announced the opening of a new freight rail service between Bordeaux and major ports and France. The Bordeaux Rail Shuttle will start on 9 July 2018, facilitating connections for goods being moved between Bordeaux and Le Havre in the north of France and Fos-sur-Mer in the south of the country. The service will operate daily, offering cargo shippers improved transit times and access to international markets.

The government of Angola has said it is about to launch a tender for the design, construction and operation of the port of Dande, about 30km north of Luanda. The plan to build the port, complete with special economic zone, was put forward in 2011, after it became apparent that the country’s main port at Luanda was nearing peak capacity. Preliminary work was begun and then suspended owing to lack of public funds and a downturn in trade after the collapse of oil prices. It appeared to be revived last year when former president José Eduardo dos Santos approved a budget of $1.5bn, but it was then cancelled by João Lourenço, who took power after elections in September. Source: GCR

Port Waratah Coal Services’ two terminals at Newcastle port in easternAustralia had 18 ships waiting offshore Sunday, compared with 23 a week ago,the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator said in its weekly report, Monday. The queue was expected to be fewer than five at end-July, HVCCCsaid.